Jerome's POV:

Walking through the forest, I mainly focused on clearing my thoughts than where I was going. Kip, Ballistic, and Syndi were yet to return. Sky was refusing to send anyone else out, and Seto has gone missing. What else could go wrong.

I paused, straining my ears and picking up the smallest sounds. Leaves blowing in the wind, bushes rustling, small animals moving around. Then I heard it again. A small cracking, a sound that came before lightning.

Growling, I made my way to it, pulling my axe out of my belt loop. It was one of those god things, I could recognize that sound anywhere. It was burned in my memory since I was taken and had to watch Bajan burst-

"You're rather brave for a tamed beast," a voice rang out behind me. I turned, seeing nothing.

"Indeed he is brother. I was expecting a trained puppy from how the rumors went," another voice spoke up, much more threatening sounding.

In a blink of an eye two older crafter stood before me. One having void eyes and the other pure white. They were the... Demi gods though. I raised my axe anyway, baring my teeth. One only chuckle.

"We're not here to fight, we're here to make a deal," the one with void eyes spoke up first, a sly grin spreading on his face. The white eyed one snap his fingers, and a smaller crafter under a black hood stepped out and was holding a bag of some sort.

"You join our side," the void eyed man said, "and we return what's yours."

The new crafter opened the bag, and red smoke spilling out from inside. I took a step back, seeing the smoke pile and form a crafter in front of me.

I realized it was Bajan. But Smokey red.

He looked scared, but as soon as he saw me he became more frightened. He shook his head no, mouth opening to yell something. But before any sound came out the smoke dissipated, swirling back into the bag.

"Do we have a deal?"

I could only stare in shock. Bajan wasn't dead. His soul didn't fracture. He could be brought back.

"Well?" The void eyed sounded impatient.

I looked at them, axe still pointed at them.

"No deal."

Ant's POV:

"You absolute sick fuck!"

"How many times are you gonna call me that," Sparkles snapped, stopping once again to turn and face me. We've been walking almost a day without rest. I was still trying to recover from seeing the other literally burn a crafter and suck their soul.

"Until you fix what you have done!"

"I don't know how!"

"Then why did you?!"

"Information!"

"You could ask!"

Sparkles grabbed my restraints and pulled me closer, lifting them so I had to stand on my toes. There was a tense silence between us. Sparkles leaned in closer, putting our faces inches apart.

"I did," the other whispered, "it was going nowhere."

"There's always another way," I hissed.

"Like how there's so many paths for this prophecy?" Sparkles rolled his eyes, "im bad. You're Good. But as of now you're at my mercy. You're lucky that I'm feeling generous on keeping you alive." Sparkles smirked, biting his lip, "you'd be a nice addition to my bedroom when I win."

"Fuck. You." I brought my knee up to hit him, but he was quicker and slammed me against a tree, pinning me there. I went to spit in his face, but he was quicker and grabbed my throat, blocking the airway.

"I wouldn't if I were you," he hissed, once again pressing himself against me. I could only glare, hoping that would be enough to scare him. He narrowed his eyes, returning the glare back.

"I'll let go if you promise to behave now," he used a sickenly sweet tone, smirking a bit. I struggled a moment, weighing my options before nodding my head.

"Good. Now keep walking. Ant."